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Pull-up Bar

I wanted to attach a 1 inch galvanized pull-up bar stretched out between 2 trees in my back yard. What hardware could I use for this to create the simplest design and cause the least amount of damage to these trees? Is it a problem to keep the bar up permanently? Or would I need to design it to be removable?

Comments

There would be several ways to do this, but a simple method would be use ratchet straps to clamp the bar to the trees. There are a couple of things to consider to prevent tree damage. Firstly you need to protect the bark from abrasion from the bar and the straps. Soft, weatherproof material would be best, like the material of a wetsuit or the rubber seals used to waterproof pipes through roofs. Wide straps will help to spread the load.

The second issue will be the movement of the trees. Treehouses have to deal with this problem by allowing one end of a support beam to move, or slide, to prevent the trees pulling the supports apart in a storm. For your pull-up bar you could have one end of the bar sliding inside a wider pipe which you clamp to the tree with a ratchet strap. This will give you plenty of support and freedom of movement.

One downside of this technique is that you will need to move the straps each year to prevent the tree's growth becoming restricted. You should be able to adjust the straps to cover a different area of bark, so that the bark in the first location can recover.